Istanbul Seririyati (1919-1952): Medical Periodical Digitalization, Index and Open Access Project

Abstract

Introduction: Istanbul Seririyati (1919-1952) was a pioneering and comprehensive medical journal in the field of neuropsychiatry in Turkiye. Published monthly for 33 years, the journal comprises a total of 389 issues and over 10,000 pages. This project aimed to digitize the entire archive of the journal and make it freely accessible. This article provides an overview of the journal Istanbul Seririyati and the website www.istanbulseririyati.com, where its archive has been recently made available online, also addressing its historical context and significance. Methods: The project, which spanned approximately six years, focused on locating all issues of the journal and compiling a complete collection. The primary goal was to obtain the most difficult-to-find Ottoman Turkish issues published between 1919 and 1929, which were collected from various individuals, institutions, libraries, antiquarian booksellers, auctions, and online marketplaces. Once acquired, they were professionally scanned and converted into PDF format. From 1929 onwards, the journal was published in Latin-script Turkish, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology was applied to facilitate text searchability whenever possible. The project was structured in four phases: identifying and gathering all journal issues, scanning and digitalizing them, creating a detailed index for each issue, and establishing an online platform for free and open access to the archive. For each issue, the medical section has been indexed with details including the author, title, and page numbers, and a structured keyword system was developed to enhance searchability within the archive. Results: The complete archive of Istanbul Seririyati (www.istanbulseririyati.com) has now been made available online. The website offers advanced search functionalities based on year, issue, topic, author, concept, and keyword, ensuring ease of use for both researchers and enthusiasts. Users can read journal issues online and also download them. The website's blog section features articles exploring Istanbul Seririyati's historical legacy, examples from various years, and in-depth discussions of its content. Moreover, selected articles from the 1919-1929 Ottoman Turkish issues have been transliterated into modern Turkish, making them more accessible to contemporary readers. It can be said that a serious historical gap in this field has been filled with online access to Istanbul Seririyati, which sheds light on the birth and development years of neuropsychiatry in Turkiye. Conclusion: Istanbul Seririyati serves as a vital resource for tracking discussions and transformations in neuropsychiatry and various other branches of medicine. The journal was organized into two main sections: medical and paramedical. By bringing together physicians from various medical disciplines, particularly neuropsychiatry, Istanbul Seririyati served as a platform that functioned like a school of thought, allowing young doctors to publish their first works and research, ultimately shaping the future of the profession. The digitalization of such rare collections ensures accessibility to valuable resources while preserving cultural heritage and securely transmitting it to future generations. It is hoped that this initiative will benefit not only today's researchers but also future generations, as Istanbul Seririyati is now accessible to the neuropsychiatry community and anyone interested in the accumulation and legacy of medical knowledge.